13 Jul 2024

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

On Monday I felt a bit better and joined the others to play cards. I still was not feeling 100 %, we had to play inside because it was a bit too cold outside ! What a summer !

I had called my doctor, I wanted that she did a little check up. My cold could have been a Covid, but as the symptoms are the same, she made no test and said even people who were healthy if they do the test, they can be Covid infected. In fact all what I had was more psychological then psychical, and she prescribed me something to sleep better. She is a young woman and we go very well together, which is important and she took her time. She loved my room, and the view and told me that it was the most beautiful residence she had seen so far. 

On Wednesday we had a barbecue, unfortunately we had to eat in the restaurant because outside it was too cool, fortunately it didn't rain. We got little starters, a pasta salad with eggplants and olives, and on the barbecue roasted meat. The ambiance was very cheerful. Unfortunately, the severely disabled residents were also sitting in a corner, and the misfortune of some made the others laugh! There was one who screamed hysterically and without any reason. Not being used to that we almost fell off our chairs. But she did this in different intervals. One had her head falling in the soup, and food and wheeled herself always away from the table and wanted to escape. I wheeled her back and asked a nurse to clean her a bit, but a few minutes later it happened again. Otherwise there were no special incidents, and I sat with my friend Pauline at a table and enjoyed our meal.

We had planned to make a little excursion and were lucky with the weather ! Sunshine and not too warm and not too hot. We had hired two vans, but I thought they were too small for all the wheelchairs and the people who couldn't walk and had to be carried in the van. Fortunately everybody took it with humor especially one who was quite heavy and big and poor Kim had to use all his muscles to put her in the van ! And of course we all laughed the "victim" the most ! And then we arrived at destination, a beautiful new Swimming pool open for everybody ! We were offered a drink and little snacks, and ice cream and enjoyed the sunshine and the good company ! 


We were  all quite tired, and I was happy that I could walk and only had few breathing problems, but there were so many benches to sit down to get my breath back. It gave me an idea how far I can go now !

After the drink the two vans picked us up and drove us back to our castle where the supper already waited ! What a nice day !



more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.
 
 
 
 
 
 

11 Jul 2024

HODGEPODGE JULY 9

1. Do you feel older or younger than your age? Elaborate. 

That's easy to answer, I am always surprised when I have to show my passport that I am 81 ! I would rather turn around the numbers and make 18 ! 

2. What's one thing you should toss right now, but just can't? 

Important papers, which are not important to me, but I have to keep them for 5 years !!

3. Have you visited many of the 63 National Parks in the US of A? You'll find a list here. Do you have a favorite? What National Park that you haven't seen do you most want to see? 

Thanks to my aunt, my mother's sister who had married an American from Wisconsin we have seen quite a lot of the States. The first time we were there in 1971 and have made a tour around several States in total 8000 km. Years later in the 80th we returned each two years always in another State, visited what had to be visited and stayed then 2 weeks with my aunt to rest, before returning home.

We have seen the following parks 

  • Death Valley
  • Joshua Tree
  • Sequoia
  • Yosemite
  • Great Sand Dunes
  • Mesa Verde
  • Rocky Mountain
  • Everglades
  • Yellowstone
  • Theodor Roosevelt
  • Badlands
  • Bryce Canyon
  • Zion
  • Petrified Forest National Parc
  • Mount Rushmore
  • The painted desert
  •  Wisconsin Dells

 

 Bryce Canion

 

Sequoia Park

It is possible that I forgot a few, I have to find my list and all the cities we have seen during these years. The one I loved the most was the Bryce Canyon. And what I still can smell was the perfume of the Sequoia park. A very special smell which I could never forget.

4. How often do you get take out? What's your favorite? 

Since I live in "my castle" I don't need that anymore and I don't remember to ever have done this besides maybe a Pizza or a Hamburger when my grandson was here.

5. Do you have many (or any) subscriptions? Not necessarily magazines, but thinking more along the lines of boxes or products that companies offer, and you can sign up to receive on a regular basis. Could be weekly, monthly, quarterly, even daily. Tell us about them. 

No I don't have any subscriptions. I order when I need something, but I have nothing on a regular basis. 

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Gradually my random thought becomes a permanent thought, because I wonder when summer will finally arrive! Last year at this exact time we had a heat wave up to 38°C, everyone dreamed of an air condition and when it got too hot I went to a cool shopping mall and stayed there the afternoon until I returned to my oven. This year, since I've been here, there's only been one week of warm weather! And I've been here since November last year. Somehow the weather has become a yo-yo and nature is desperately trying to keep to the dates. If things continue like this we will have our summer at Christmas, just like the Australians now. and they will have their Christmas with snow !

Sidney

 

Brussels


10 Jul 2024

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY







 Brussels City Hall, a flower exhibition


more participants here, and Image-in-ing

8 Jul 2024

AWWW MONDAY - WEEKEND JULY 6





 
 
These are little cats out of my cat collection from over 500 figurines ! When I moved I had to sort out what to keep and what to sell ! Difficult to choose !
 
 
 
    

Linking to AWWW MONDAYS

 

 *******  

During the night of Saturday I woke up and didn't feel well as if I had caught a cold. I took a Paracetamol which was good for cold, flew and even Covid ! When I got up  and had my Breakfast I took another one and decided to stay in my room, and rest. My son called me to inform me that he has the Covid ! I  answered him that it didn't exist anymore and anyway, with the vaccinations we got (I had 4) the symptoms are the same as a cold and so are the medications. Only the people who take a test know whether they have a cold or the Covid. I had completely forgotten about Covid and would never have thought of taking a test. Here in my castle no one was walking around with a mask and I didn't hear that anyone had Covid either. As he was offended that I didn't believe him, I thought he must have Covid, I just have a cold! Anyway the result was the same, we were both sick!

I watched TV, read old posts from 2009 of my Blog, and realized that many Bloggers gave up or passed away.  Of course 15 years are a lot ! There were so many things I had completely forgotten !

On Sunday morning I felt a bit better but still not 100 % and as it is very windy and only 17° I decided to do the same as yesterday. I prepared my post, got the visit of Pauline who brought me little tomatoes from her daughter's garden 

In the afternoon it took me some time to fill out a form to make an appointment !  Just a date and and hour they couldn't make it any more complicated, luckily I was used to it ! That's the administration ! Probably something like that happened to a resident's friend who needed a new identity card and got a confirmation that now she is officially dead ! The poor woman wanted to go to France on holidays, and needed her card,  but it took quite some time to get her alive again and she got a new card.

I still wonder when summer dares to arrive ! I am dressed for going to the North pole !

Rosie continues her winter sleep in July !